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Microsoft said Monday it would not appeal a European Union court order to immediately implement antitrust sanctions, but that it remained optimistic it would eventually prevail in its main case.

In December, the software giant lost a bid to delay sanctions imposed by the European Commission, the EU&#39;s executive arm, but it is continuing with a separate, main appeal against the Commission&#39;s decision that Microsoft had abused its dominance.

"Microsoft has decided to forego its right to appeal the Court of First Instance&#39;s...ruling of December 22, 2004," it said in a statement. "Rather than seeking to suspend the Commission&#39;s remedies, Microsoft&#39;s focus now is on working constructively with the Commission on their full and prompt implementation."

The sanctions compel the world&#39;s largest software maker to introduce a stripped-down version of its computer operating system without its Windows Media Player music and video software.

Microsoft said a European edition of Windows without Media Player would be available "in the coming weeks," and it had made specifications available to rival makers of server software--a second key Commission order.

But Microsoft said it would continue to appeal the Commission&#39;s landmark competition ruling from March 2004.

"We remain very optimistic as we move forward in this process, and are encouraged that the December court order noted that a number of Microsoft&#39;s arguments could provide a basis for overturning the EC&#39;s decision," Microsoft said.